There's a common joke in the Marvel fandom that the villain Loki is even more popular the heroes. But it's funny because it's true. Loki is better than Thor for a number of reasons having nothing to do with sibling rivalry. I mean, Loki won MTV's sexiest Avenger poll, and he's not even technically an Avenger. A large part of his popularity comes from Tom Hiddleston's stellar portrayal of the God of Mischief. No disrespect to Chris Hemsworth, he's a fine Thor, but Hiddleston is really just in a league of his own.
When Thor: The Dark World came out critics praised Tom Hiddleston's performance of Loki, with Peter Travers, of Rolling Stone, starting his review with this spot-on remark: "Not enough Loki." (The same could be said for Avengers: Age of Ultron.) I genuinely like Thor as a character, but he simply cannot be victorious in the viewers' eyes when sharing the stage with his brother. As Joe Williams of St. Louis Post-Dispatch said, "Tom Hiddleston [is] the very definition of a scene stealer."
It's been far too long since Loki graced a cinema screen, but he'll be back for Thor 3 in 2017. But, for now, let's celebrate the God of Mischief in all his glory and he reigns supreme over Thor.
He's The Sass King
Thor may be the rightful heir to the throne of Asgard, but Loki is king of being sassy, which is way more fun than running a realm.
He Doth Not Weareth His Mother's Drapes Like Thor Does
In Tom Hiddleston's own words, "If you're going to destroy the universe, you might as well look good doing it."
He's A Pro At Getting Under Thor's Skin
He basically mocks his brother through three films, and Thor still hasn't thought of a good comeback.
His Actions Aren't Restricted By Morality
Being self-righteous is so boring. Loki is much more interesting.
He Has The Ability To BECOME WHOEVER HE WANTS
Way, way cooler than just being able to wield a fancy hammer.
He Can Take Multiple Hits From The Hulk
And still be funny afterwards. Meanwhile, when Hulk hit Thor, he literally flew out of the frame. Who's the stronger one now?
He Has A More Compelling Backstory
Underneath all his wit and sass, he's sad and broken and just wants to be loved. By comparison, Thor's character is lacking some serious depth.
He Has A Better Reaction Time
HE CAUGHT AN ARROW SPEEDING TOWARDS HIM. Meanwhile, Thor gets constantly surprised by his own teammates.
To Sum It Up...
Beat that, Thor.
Images: Screengrab/Marvel; lonely-trenchcoat (3), virtualloki (3), queensofasgard, tegamini (2), becausehiddles (2), collegeenvy, eirwencorentin (4), xavir (2)/Tumblr; giphy; imgur
